New Hampshire Motor Speedway general manager and executive vice president Jerry Gappens told Allen Lessels of the Union Leader that it was "highly unlikely" the series would return to the track.

"Based on the information I have right now, I'd say they won't be coming back," Gappens told the Union Leader.

New Hampshire Motor Speedway attracted a crowd of about 28,000 for the IndyCar Series MoveThatBlock.com 225 on Aug. 14. It marked the first major Formula Car style event at the track since 1998.

The former CART ChampCar World Series competed at New Hampshire Motor Speedway from 1992 through 1995. The IndyCar Series held three events at the track from 1996-1998. Gappens spent three years trying to get the IndyCar Series to return to the track after Speedway Motorsports Inc. purchased the facility from former owner Bob Bahre.

Ryan Hunter-Reay won Aug. 14 at New Hampshire in an event marked by a controversial finish sparked by on and off rain through the day in Loudon.

While MSW's point is valid (IndyCar doesn't have a fan base in this area -- or anywhere but Indiana, really), I think 28,000 on a rainy day with only Indy Lights for a support race isn't a bad turnout for a first effort.

Gappens said he didn't get the job done, and he's absolutely right. His biggest mistake was not running the Whelen Mods on Sunday. How do you expect a series with no built-in fan base to draw 40k on their own? Give the thousands of modified fans in New England a reason to come sample the Indy Cars, and I bet they could've easily hit their attendance target. (Well, if the weathere cooperated.)

All the more reason it's a shame that they're pulling the plug after one year, rather than giving it another try.

Andrew,
I'll say this about your point.I am surprised that they decided to pull the plug on IndyCar after one try, especially considering everybody knew it was going to be an event dependent on a walk-up crowd and you weren't going to get any walk-up with that forecast. That said, saying putting the Modifieds on Sunday to bring their fanbase in, not sure that would work. Let's be honest, there wasn't much more than 2,000 people in the grandstands on Saturday when the Modified Tour race took the green flag. And I'm not knocking the Modified Tour fanbase, I know it's a hearty and loyal bunch, but they didn't turn out for Saturday of that weekend, what makes you think they would have turned out for Sunday?

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On August 18, 1995 Shawn Courchesne attended his first short track racing event, filling in on coverage for a Friday night show at Stafford Motor Speedway for the Hartford Courant. Little did he realize that night ... read more